I just took in two 5 month old kitties from their previous home which was definately not up to par health wise. We planned for only one, but knew immediately that we had to save them both from their previous home.

Within a day, I noticed one, Bullwinkle, had an ear infection. When I brought him to the vet, they told me they found a very slight heart murmur when his heart beat very fast, but not when it beat regularly. This, they said, could present a problem when we neutered him, because he has to undergo anesthesia. They told me I could instead, have them sedate him, put him under mild anesthesia, and do the neuter through them, totalling about $180 more than it would be to risk normal neuter. They then told me that the murmur could result in no problems at all, and he could be completely fine being neutered normally, but that it just a possibility it could go either way.

I don't know that his condition is serious enough to go to all these precautions, and I can't afford to spend so much extra money unless it is completely necessary, due to the fact that both kitties need all their vaccs/neuter. I have fallen in love with both of them and will do whatever is necessary to make sure they both live happy, healthy lives, but I am struggling with all these costs!!

Moxy has a grade 2 murmer as well, our vet said it shouldn't be any problem but good to let vets know before he goes under in the future.
He was neutered just fine and it didn't cost any more than any other cat neuter to date.

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Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyways. ~John Wayne

I have a heart murmur myself. It's caused by a mild malfunction of a valve and doesn't affect me at all, except that it's noted on my medical charts. I've undergone many procedures, including anesthetics, before it was even detected when I was in my 30s! I am now a retiree - no heart issues yet.

So I think it all depends on the cause of the murmur. I'm wondering whether cats can have valve insufficiencies the same as people do. I do have a Manx with cardiomyopathy. But to me, that's a huge step beyond a minor murmur.

Best of luck with whatever you decide to do, and bless you for rescuing these two.

Male cat anaesthesia for a neuter is extremely fast. I don't know your vet's procedure but the procedures I've sat in on the cat received a shot of IV anesthetic and was castrated and placed into recovery within 10 minutes, maybe more like 5 even. No ventilator, no shaving, no stitches, just another shot of long acting penicillin to ward off any potential infection, and painkiller.
The risk for anaesthetic definitely does increase with the length and strength of administration, but for a neuter I would not put it off because the risk is fairly minimal. Putting up with the spraying would be much worst... Yuck.

I think we are going to have him neutered....but are going to check in with the vet before-hand to let them know the situation as well. Unfortunately, we have just found out that both are FelV positive, so that is just another trauma to the family. I'll read up on all the leukemia information, but at least I know that I am giving them a better life than what they would have gotten had they been given to the pound.